yes, the defense budget can be cut. frankly, the defense department knows that. >> the word sequester. i have had people say what does that mean? it is said it will be a disaster for our national security. >> i do not pretend to know. the cutbacks in social security and medicare, those were things i threw into the pot. geoff, he threw in the defense budget. i would not have thought of it because it is so untouchable. what will happen? i do not know. but, i think we have to be spending too much money given what the rest of the world spends. >> what you think of the elected officials in this country, from your position? >> i think some of them are wonderful. a lot of them are trying to do the right thing and which they could. i think a lot of them feel trapped by the forces that worked in the society that force them to distain compromise, to treat politics as warfare, which it did not use to be. i think most of them, not all, but most of them, in their heart of hearts, would be willing and happy to compromise. but they do